500 S YS TEMA TIC S YNOPSIS. — PA S SERES — OSCIXES. 



Pica sieberii Wagl. Syst. Av. 1827, Pica No. 23, and its synonymy is as follows : Cyanocitta 

 sordida Bd. B. X. A. 1858, p. 587, and Mex. B. Surv. ii, p. 21, pi. 22, fig. 1 ; Cooper, 

 Orn. Cal. i, 1870, p. 305 ; Coues, Proc Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1866, p. 92 (p. 56 of reprint) ; 

 Sieber's Jay, Ap]ielocoma sordida Coves, Key, 1st ed. 1872, p. 166; Cyanocitta ultramarina 

 var. arizonce KiDGW. Bull. Essex Inst, v, Dec. 1873, p. 199; Bd. Brew, and Ridgw. B. N. A. 

 1874, ii, p. 292; Subsp. a, Aphelocoma [sordida^^ arizonie Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. iii, 1877; 

 p. 117 ; Aphelocoma idtramarina arizona; Coues, Key, 2d-4th eds. 1884-90, p. 424, where the 

 reference of this bird to idtramarinus of Bonaparte, 1825, is criticised ; and finally Aphelo- 

 coma sieberii arizonce Ridgw. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. viii, 1885, p. 355; Man. 1887, p. 357; 

 A. 0. U. Lists, 1st and 2d eds. 1886-95, No. 482. 



XANTHU'RA. (Gr. ^avdos, xanthos, yellow; ovpa, oura, tail.) Green Jays. No crest. 

 Wings short, much rounded, with lengthened inner secondaries folding nearly over primaries. 

 Tail longer than wings, graduated. Bill short and deep, with culmen curved from the base. 

 Colors green and yellow, with black and blue on head. Several tropical species of these luxu- 

 rious Jays, one reaching our border. (Name originally and now usually in the bad form of 

 Xanthoura.) 



X. luxuo'sa. (Lat. ?Ma;MOsa, luxurious.) Green Jay. Rio Grande Jay. Adult ^: Back 

 and exposed surface of wings yelhnvish-greeu ; inner webs of nn)st quills blackish edged with 

 clear yellow; their shafts black above, yellow or whitish below ; lining of wings clear yellow. 

 Four middle tail-feathers greenish-blue, at base little difi'erent from back, bluing toward ends; 

 these feathers, seen from below, quite black ; other tail-feathers all clear rich yellow, includ- 

 ing their shafts. Under parts from breast light greenish -yeUow, yielding to pure yellow on 

 middle of belly. Top of head and nasal plumules beautiful rich blue, yielding on forehead to 

 hoary-white. Sides of head to above eyes, and whole chin, throat, and fore breast jet black, 

 enclosing a large triangular patch of blue on side of lower jaw, and blue touches on eyelids. 

 Bill and feet black. Length 11.25-12.00; extent 14.50-15.50; wing 4.50-5.00; tail 5.25- 

 5.75; tarsus 1-50; middle toe and claw 1.25; bill 1.00, very stout. 9 near the lesser dimen- 

 sions given. This gay and gaudy bird is abundant in some localities in the Lower Rio Grande 

 valley as high up as Rio Grande city, and extends thence S. in Mexico to Puebla and Vera 

 Cruz. As in the case of the Blue Jay its truly elegant attire hides a heart full of mischief and 

 malice ; it is an equally merciless despoiler of other birds' nests, eggs, and young. Nest in 

 bushes and small trees, bulky, of twigs, oftenest thorny, with finer lining of rootlets, etc. ; 

 eggs 3-5, usually 4, 1.10 X 0.80, on an average ranging from 1.00 X 0.75 to 1.20 X 0.85, 

 the ground color varying from greenish-drab to whitish, profusely and evenly marked as usual 

 with browns and neutral tints; they are laid in April and May. 



PERISO'REUS. (Gr. irepLa-copdco, perisoreuo, I heap up ; probably in allusion to the hoard- 

 ing or thievish propensities of Jays.) Gray Jays. Not crested. Plumage soft, full and lax, 

 grayish or sooty. Bill very short, not deep but wide at base ; cubnen little curved ; gonys 

 ascending. Wings and tail of approximately equal lengths ; latter graduated. A circumpolar 

 and boreal or alpine genus, type P. infaustus of Europe; with two species in America, one of 

 them with three subspecies. 



AnnlysU of Species and Subspecies. 



Back without distinct whitish shaft-lines ; belly gray, darker than throat. 



Dark hood moderate ; white forehead extensive ; back grayish canadensis 



Dark hood extensive ; whitish forehead restricted ; back grayish. Labrador coast .... c. nigiicapillus 



Dark hood extensive ; smoky forehead restricted ; back brownish. Alaska coast c. fumifrons 



Dark hood restricted ; white forehead extensive ; back clear ash. Rocky Mts c. capitalis 



Back with distinct whitish shaft-lines ; belly wliite like throat. 



Dark hood extensive ; smoky forehead restricted ; back brownish. N. Pacific coast obscurns 



P. canadensis. (Of Canada. Fig. 337.) Canada Jay. Whiskey John. Whiskey 

 Jack. Moose-bird. Grease Bird. Meat Hawk. Carrion Bird. Camp Robber. 



